Senior Spotlight: Baby Boomers Represent 42% of Home Buyers

Equity makes all the difference!

This Just In: On April 15, 2026, the National Association of Realtors® issues a news release summarizing the findings of the ‘2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends’ report. The results are clear in that Baby Boomers are a dominant force in the housing market, representing 42% of all buyers and 55% of all sellers!

NAR Deputy Chief Economist Dr. Jessica Lautz explains that “The housing market remains sharply divided between homeowners with equity and first-time buyers trying to break in…”. Lautz also states that “Baby Boomers are at a point in life when they have the flexibility to move, often with housing equity to help purchase their next home. Today, many Baby Boomers are embracing choice and moving to be closer to friends and family, to downsize, or to retire and enjoy a work-free lifestyle.”

Here are a few more interesting data points regarding buying, selling and Baby Boomers:

1) Baby Boomer home buyers represent the same share as last year, at 42% (unchanged percentage from 2025 report).

2) Boomers represent the lowest share of first-time home buyers, as most are using equity from their existing home sale to purchase their nest residence.

3) Multi-generational home purchases are declining in market share, from 17% of market share last year to 14% this year.

4) Baby Boomers account for 55% of sellers; most older Boomers sold their homes after 15 years while generational averages of time in home is 11 years.

5) 88% of all buyers used a real estate agent in their home purchase. 91% of all sellers used an agent, with the highest confidence in their agent reported by Older Boomers and the Silent Generation.

Resources Used: Realtor.com®, Housing Wire, Yahoo! Finance

We hope you find this data informative and gain some valuable perspective into the role that Baby Boomers continue to play in the housing market.

Cheers to a great rest of the week & weekend,

Bobbi

Bobbi Decker
DRE#00607999

Broker Associate
650.346.5352 cell
650.577.3127 efax
www.bobbidecker.com

NAR Instructor….“Designations Create Distinctions”
CIPS, SRS, ABR, CRS, SRES, GRI, CLHMS, REI, AHWD, RSPS, MSLG

Bobbi Decker & Associates fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. For more information, please visit: http://portal.hud.gov/